1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to bumper assemblies for a motor vehicle, particularly for a truck or the like, and more specifically, the present invention relates to bumper assemblies of a type which comprises an elongate main bumper part securely connected to a frame of the vehicle and separate side bumper parts connected respectively to longitudinally opposed ends of the main bumper part and extending generally perpendicularly from the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to clarify the task of the present invention, two conventional bumper assemblies of the above-mentioned type will be outlined with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown one of the conventional bumper assemblies, which is disclosed in "NISSAN TRUCK SERVICE MANUAL" page D-19 published on September, 1985. The bumper assembly disclosed in this publication is designed for trucks of a frame type which comprises a vehicle frame on which a vehicle body proper is mounted through rubber-mounts.
The bumper assembly comprises a channel-shaped elongate main bumper part 10 connected through main stays 12 (only one is shown) to the vehicle frame (not shown) of the vehicle, and two side bumper parts 14 (only one is shown) bolted to the longitudinally opposed ends of the main bumper part 10 and extending generally perpendicularly from the same. An auxiliary or side stay 16 extends between each side bumper part 14 and the body proper of the vehicle for achieving assured the connection between the bumper assembly and the vehicle.
However, due to the inherent arrangement of the bumper assembly as mentioned hereinabove, relative displacement inevitably occuring between the vehicle frame and the vehicle body due to jolting of the vehicle during cruising tends to pull and push the side bumper parts 14 through the side stays 16 and finally deform the side bumper parts 14.
Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown the other conventional bumper assembly, which is also designed for the trucks of the frame type.
The bumper assembly comprises a channel-shaped elongate main bumper part 10 connected through stays 12 (only one is shown) to the of the vehicle frame, and two side bumper parts 14 (only one is shown) bolted to the longitudinally opposed ends of the main bumper part 10 and extending generally perpendicularly from the same. An angularly U-shaped reinforcing member 18 is disposed between each side bumper part 14 and each stay 12 and bolted to them for assuring connection between the main bumper part 10 and each side bumper part 14.
Although the arrangement of the this bumper assembly solves the problems of that of FIG. 4, the strongly built reinforcing member 18 induces considerable increase in weight of the bumper assembly thereby not only making mounting of the bumper assembly to the vehicle troublesome but also lowering fuel economy of the vehicle.